the most important issue to consider when deciding whether or not to develop your applications for compatibility with Java Web Start is security. Java Web Start allows client-side Java applications access to a variety of local-machine resources, such as file access, clipboard access, and so forth. Being derived from the Java 2 platform, however, the product inherits that platform's security architecture. As mentioned previously, the security attributes defined in the JNLP file determine the level of security that an application may have when launched via Java Web Start. By default, a restricted environment is employed, granting an application limited access to the network and the local machine. As with the applet sandbox, this guarantees that a malicious application cannot do any harm.
Another key element of Java Web Start's security is the use of digital code signing. When an application is launched or updated, its JAR files are downloaded to a client machine. Java Web Start uses the digital codes in those files to determine if any JAR files have been altered or modified since the initial signing of the files. If there is an inconsistency or if the files have not been signed, the application will not be launched from Java Web Start. Applications that have been signed correctly may have access to the local machine.
When running an application that requests unrestricted access to the local machine, the user will be initially presented with a dialog that explains the origin of the application or vendor and allows the user to grant additional privileges to the application. Furthermore, when an application requires the use of a local machine's resources and does not have a signed JAR file, Java Web Start will allow the user to explicitly grant the application the access via a Security Advisory dialog. For example, if a client Java application needed to be able to paste information into the Windows OS clipboard facility.
For more detail, Visit the link-
http://www.ibm.com/developer works/java/library/j-webstart/
Answered by
Nagendra
, an ibibo Master,
at
7:19 AM on June 12, 2008